Dancing FBI Agent Who Shot A Bystander Will Get His Gun Back, Judge Rules

Considering the range of fireable offenses for most any job, shooting someone while on or off the job would easily and obviously rank high up as something warranting immediate termination with no questions asked.

Apparently this is not the case with federal government employees, however, and specifically the FBI.

Last month we featured the viral video of FBI agent Chase Bishop accidentally shooting a bystander at a Colorado bar while busting a move that included a backflip in the middle of a boozed up crowd. During the bizarre dance move, the agent's gun ejected out of his holster onto the floor and as he lunged to pick it up, the gun went off, seriously wounding nearby bar patron Tom Reddington, who was treated and eventually released from a hospital.

FBI agent Chase Bishop, who lives and works in Washington D.C., will get his gun back while awaiting his court hearing.

Common sense might dictate this is a man who shouldn't be carrying a gun while awaiting his court hearing after he was charged with one count of second-degree assault in connection with the June 2 shooting.

But a Denver judge has ruled he can now carry his weapon again on or off duty as Bishop considers a possible plea deal and future court date of August 21st.

Chase Bishop, 29, had his protection order amended by a Denver judge during a Tuesday court appearance, said Ken Lane, Denver District Attorney spokesman.

The amendment was modified to let Bishop carry his service weapon on and off duty, “so long as it is done in a manner pursuant to FBI policy,”Lane said.

Naturally, we might ask: what would it take for an FBI agent under criminal investigation to be barred from carrying a firearm?

The Denver Post notes further that "The FBI also has not released any information about its policy for agents carrying weapons while off duty and in alcohol establishments."

What's more is that FBI policy was actually invoked favorably to help convince the judge that the agent should arm himself, as the New York Post reports:

Bishop’s lawyer, David Goddard, told Judge Fran Simonet that the FBI strongly encourages its agents to carry the service weapons when they are not working. Prosecutors did not object, so Simonet said Bishop could be armed both on and off duty.

The victim, Tom Reddington, who was reportedly shot through an artery, told ABC News last month that he does not blame Bishop, saying “I’m not vindictive at all. I don’t want to ruin his life. At this point, there’s nothing we can do to fix it. So, let’s just move on and deal with it as best we can.”

Aftermath of the accidental shooting at the Denver bar Mile High Spirits. Image source: CBS

Remember this FBI agent who accidentally shot a guy when his gun fell out of his pants while he was dancing at a bar?

Well at the very least the FBI or the court could take away his gun. Police investigated whether or not Bishop was drunk at the time, but a blood alcohol test was never made public and investigators decided to file the second-degree assault charge without the test results.

The Denver, Colorado bar where the incident took place, Mile High Spirits, previously issued a statement sayingthe bar's ownerslooked forward to speaking with the FBI “so we can come to understand (the agent’s) presence and his need to be armed in our establishment,” in violation of the business’ rules.

The bar also announced the shooting victim will be “welcome at Mile High Spirits to enjoy complimentary drinks forever.”